The trial of American singer R Kelly continued in Brooklyn on Thursday, August 26, 2021. He is tried for extortion, sexual exploitation of a minor, kidnapping, corruption and forced labour, over a period from 1994 to 2018.
The star of R&B R Kelly was facing a federal court in Brooklyn on Thursday, August 26, to answer the charges against her. Even if he pleads not guilty, the American singer is in bad shape considering all the charges against him.
Stéphanie, who said she had a relationship with the fallen R’n’B star for six months when she was 17, recounted a conversation in which R. Kelly reportedly expressed her preference for “young girls” and wondered why “people were making a big deal out of it.”
The testimony of this woman is in addition to the many others heard since the beginning of the trial of the singer. On Monday and Tuesday, an accuser stated that R. Kelly sexually assaulted her on her tour bus and in hotel rooms when she was still a 17-year-old high school student.
Among the victims is also Aaliyah, who died on August 25, 2001, or 20 years ago, on a plane. She was 22 years old. Kelly and Aaliyah were married in a Chicago hotel in August 1994 when the girl was only 15 years old.
Demetrius Smith, former tour manager of R Kelly, told the court that he had bribed an Illinois government official to the tune of 500 dollars to obtain a fake ID card for Aaliyah, so that Kelly, then aged 27, could marry him.
As a reminder, the trial began on Wednesday 18 August 2021
